Ralph
Dranow's Newsletter #2
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Your
Life Story Matters
Celebrating
Your Life
Helping
You Write, Ghostwrite, or Edit Your Life Story
(as
a Memoir, Autobiography, Oral History, Novel, or ....)
with
Ralph
Dranow
www.yourlifestorymatters.com
___________________________________________
[To read Newsletter #1, click here]
___________________________________________
Hello.
Welcome to the second newsletter of my ghostwriting and editing service, Your
Life Story Matters: Celebrating Your Life.
Stories
are our life blood. Good ones nourish and inspire us, make us laugh or cry.
Writing about one's life can be extremely rewarding, yet also quite difficult.
Many issues may come up prior to the writing and during the writing process
itself, such as how to deal with painful memories, or recall details from
many years ago, or write honestly, from a level deeper than the ego..
These
are all important issues—ones,
I'm sure, that have kept many of us from attempting to write about our lives.
(If you're interested in how I address these questions, please read my article
“Writing Your Life Story—Ten
Common Questions” on my website: www.yourlifestorymatters.com.)
Yet in spite of these obstacles, so many people are willing to embark
on this journey of writing about their lives.
Why
is that?
For
the past year, I've led memoir-writing classes at senior centers in Berkeley
and Emeryville, California. In these classes, I've been heartened to discover
how eager people are to explore their lives through writing about them. Class
members usually write in class for half an hour, often about suggested topics,
then share their writing with each other. What I've witnessed in these sessions
is how honest and vulnerable this writing often is, and how open class members
are about sharing this sensitive material.
People in class write about
such intimate subjects as:
There's
often a palpable energy in the room, one of excitement and camaraderie. Intent
faces lean over blank sheets of paper, pens moving rapidly, as the writers
strive to paint a picture in the short time allotted. When people read their
writing, silence reigns; everyone listens attentively, wondering where the
story will take him/her. There is a sense of mutual respect, an acknowledgment
of comradeship on this brave journey. At times during the reading, there is
appreciative laughter; and at other times, attentive silence or sounds of
empathy, satisfaction, or surprise. These classes seem to serve a healing
function, as people feel free to explore various aspects of their lives in
a safe environment, as well as seeing their feelings and experiences mirrored
by others. I've seen new writers start out hesitantly, and within a few weeks
their writing has become freer, deeper. At the end of the sessions, people
seem energized, eager to continue the journey of self-exploration. And I feel
happy to be able to facilitate this healing experience and to have the opportunity
of hearing so many wonderful stories—funny,
moving, inspiring, unexpected.
f
If
you've been thinking about writing your life story and want help
getting started—support,
guidance, ghostwriting—or
if you're already in the process of writing a memoir or autobiography and
would like some assistance with that (encouragement, guidance, support, editing),
I would be glad to talk to you and explore whether we would be a good fit.
I offer a one-hour free exploratory phone consultation.
And
if you know of someone who might be interested in my services, I
would appreciate your referral. If this person becomes a client of mine, I
will compensate you with some writing help or a monetary reward, whichever
you prefer.
ralphdranow@yahoo.com
(510)
465-3935
www.yourlifestorymatters.com
Thank
you. Your
life story does matter. Writing it down, whether for publication or not, can
make it clear just how much.
About
Ralph Dranow
Ralph
Dranow is an award-winning narrative poet, journalist, and fiction writer
whose work has been widely published. Well over 100 poems have appeared in
over 60 publications. His poetry tends to be narrative, telling the stories
of the people who are at the center of the poems.
His
articles and essays have appeared in such magazines and newspapers as the
San Francisco Chronicle, Pure Inspiration, The East
Bay Monthly, The Montclarion, India West, and others.
His poems have been published in Jewish Currents, Home Planet
News, Pearl, Memoir(and), and Nerve Cowboy, among others.
He is the co-editor of The Faithful Fools literary anthology, Living in
the Land of the Dead. He has also coordinated poetry readings and author
events at Walden Pond Bookstore, The Coffee Mill, and Nefeli's Cafe.
As an
editor over the past seven years, he has edited nonfiction, fiction, and poetry.
As
a ghostwriter, he takes a healing approach, interviewing the subject to draw
forth not only the information about that person's life but also to shine
a light on what is unique and precious about that life. Out of the person's
responses, he uses his writing skill to weave a book that makes the person's
story come to life.
Ralph
teaches or has taught memoir writing at the Berkeley and Emeryville, CA senior
centers, as well as privately.
Articles
by Ralph worth reading:
Writing
Your Life Story: 10 Common Questions
Getting
Started